abandonment

[uh-ban-duhn-muhnt]

noun

1. an act or instance of leaving a person or thing permanently and completely.

   He struggles to deal with his abandonment by his wife, and now having to care for their infant alone.

2. an act or instance of permanently setting aside a principle, discontinuing an activity, etc..

   I believe in the struggle for radical social change, but it must be accompanied by an abandonment of the notion that the end justifies the means.

3. an act or instance of giving up control of something, or of yielding to one’s impulses or to an external or spiritual force.

   No psychiatric diagnosis quite captures Hitler’s boundless will to lead, his self-deception, and his utter abandonment to evil.

Other Word Forms

• nonabandonment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abandonment¹

abandon ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

The incident occurred after just four minutes of the Armagh Senior Football Championship Group B game in Mullaghbawn which led to a lengthy stoppage and abandonment.

From BBC

The most significant reason for abandonment is the widespread practice of registering ships - called flags of convenience - in countries that have weak shipping rules, according to ITF.

From BBC

"There is a feeling of resignation and abandonment. I don't know how much we have the strength to endure. Someone has to protect us. But who?"

From BBC

Limited studies indicate that older people are subject to theft, contractor fraud, neglect and abandonment, as well as physical abuse, after disasters.

From Salon

In that opinion, Paxton said that a district court can decide whether an elected official has “forfeited his or her office due to abandonment.”

From Salon

Related Words

• renunciation